Our Story

House of Numbat is, at its heart, a family story.

It began not with a business plan, but with a way of thinking about clothing — a belief that garments should be created with care, responsibility, and respect for the people who wear them.

At the centre of that belief was designer Veronika Guardi.

From the earliest stages of her work, Veronika approached fashion differently. She was less interested in trends and far more interested in construction, fabric intelligence, and the life a garment would have after it left the studio.

A Studio Before a Brand

Before House of Numbat existed as a fashion label, there was a working studio.

Within this studio garments were developed carefully and often slowly. At the same time, many emerging designers came seeking guidance — people with strong ideas but limited technical support.

Veronika helped them transform concepts into real clothing.

Patterns were corrected.
Silhouettes refined.
Production problems solved.

Through this work the studio became not only a place of creation, but also a place of learning.

It was here that the foundations of what would later become House of Numbat were established.

Continuing the Philosophy

In 2023, Veronika Guardi’s life ended far too early.

Yet the philosophy she built did not disappear with her.

For our family, continuing her work became both a responsibility and a promise.

House of Numbat was created to carry that philosophy forward — protecting the standards she believed in and allowing the ideas she developed to continue living through garments, research, and design practice.

To preserve this legacy more formally, House of Numbat established The Veronika Guardi Foundation, an archival and educational initiative dedicated to documenting her work, collections, sketches, and design philosophy.

The Veronika Guardi Foundation

The Veronika Guardi Foundation operates within House of Numbat as a cultural and archival initiative preserving the work and thinking of Veronika Guardi.

The foundation focuses on four areas:

• Archive — preserving sketches, notebooks, collection boards, and studio documentation
• Publications — books and research exploring the Guardi Method and responsible fashion systems
• Exhibitions — presenting collections and archival material in educational and cultural contexts
• Knowledge Sharing — occasional online guidance for emerging designers interested in responsible design practice.

Through these activities, the foundation ensures that Veronika Guardi’s design philosophy continues to contribute to the future of fashion.

Design Shaped by Land

Like many British traditions of clothing, the thinking behind House of Numbat is shaped by landscape.

In Britain clothing was never simply decoration.

It was protection.
Structure.
Quiet resilience.

Rain demanded fabric.
Wind demanded cut.
Movement demanded intelligence.

House of Numbat continues this tradition.

Garments are developed not for spectacle, but for life.

No trends. Only style.

The House

The word house was chosen deliberately.

It represents more than a brand.

A house contains many rooms:

Design
Craft
Learning
Reflection
Family.

Within House of Numbat these elements exist together.

Collections are developed alongside studio work.
Writing sits beside garment construction.
Archive and research sit beside production.
Past and future remain connected.

The Pillars of the House

House of Numbat operates through several connected areas of work.

Numbat Fashion

Timeless British womenswear defined by fabric, structure, and longevity.

Numbat Sport

Engineering-driven sportswear and teamwear focused on performance, durability, and responsible production.

Numbat Studio

A design and development studio supporting new creators through sampling, pattern development, consulting, and mentoring.

Numbat Books

A publishing imprint exploring fashion, manufacturing, and systems thinking — books written from inside production, examining the consequences of speed and the value of restraint.

The Veronika Guardi Foundation

An archival and cultural initiative preserving the work, philosophy, and design legacy of Veronika Guardi.

Together these activities form House of Numbat — a place where ideas become garments, knowledge becomes practice, and design becomes culture.

Research, Writing and Archive

Alongside garments, the house explores fashion through writing, research, and archival work.

Books, essays, and studio documentation examine how clothing can be designed responsibly and built to endure beyond seasonal trends.

This intellectual work preserves the thinking behind the practice while allowing the philosophy to evolve for future generations.

A Family Commitment

Behind House of Numbat is a family determined to keep these ideas alive.

Every garment, every page, and every project continues the work that began in the studio.

Not to repeat the past, but to allow the philosophy behind it to keep evolving.

Welcome to the House www.houseofnumbat.com